The recently opened Pizzeria is the second of its kind hosted by Maria Fuchs, a vanguard in the recent “genuine pizza” hype in Vienna. The name “Disco Volante” brings back memories of the James Bond villain Emilio Largo’s escape vessel. Also a famous car designed in the early 50ies carried this name (there has recently been a relaunch by Alfa Romeo). But in fact does the name of the pizzeria simply refer to its original meaning “flying disc”.

According to the clients wish the restaurant should not only carry the atmosphere of a southern Italian pizzeria but also transport the lightness of the “Italo-Disco” era of the 1970s and 80s.

The heart of every pizzeria is the wood fired oven which in this case is a giant disco ball with a rotating mechanism. After the dough is run out the Pizzaioli start the engine and the oven begins to slowly turn with about 1 revolution per minute.

In charge of the design as well for most of the production of the oven was Vienna based “Madame Mohr”, a young architects and designers collaborative. Their goal is not to just design but also to fabricate where possible. In this case, the outer shell of the oven which is made from heat resistant concrete, was produced utilizing CNC-milling technology to build the spherical formwork.

The mechanism allowing the oven to rotate is hidden underneath the baking surface where the heat does not damage sensitive parts. The shell is covered with approximately 7500 specially cut mirror tiles which were glued on site.

The ceiling of the former grocery store revealed an extra meter of height when removed. This additional space contributes to the canteen like feeling known from the overcrowded places in Naples drowned in neon light. Adding up to this harsh and rather uncomfortable environment are the former church benches as well as the chairs, typically found in Vienna’s city departments and the tables only leaving space for a pizza and a beverage each. These attributes might sound unusual for a restaurant but are key elements of the success of “Disco Volante”.

Madame Mohr is a creative collective, consisting of architects and designers, that investigates ethics and aesthetics in all scales since 2009.

Apart from developing own projects they offer design services in parametrics, feasibility studies, prototyping and realization as well as consulting services in rendering & animation and model building.

Presented with a long linear site of a archetypal terrace house, IX Architects was tasked to design a house for Mr. Choi, his sister and their parents. The house needed to cater to the different individual needs of the family members. Much time was spent in the first few meetings to understand the lifestyle and requirements of the family so that the spaces could be designed and customized for them.

Often times the general consensus with home owners whose only interest is to maximize internal areas is to construct the building right to the setback lines. Fortunately, the owner was supportive to set the building façade away from the setback line on the first storey, enabling an outdoor decking space to be created. This timber decking then became an extension of the internal dining room, where full height glass doors allow for interaction between the indoor and outdoor spaces.

The impetus for the design was the desire to organize the internal spaces so that the common living spaces and private rooms receive as much natural lighting as possible. This posed as a challenge as the linear site is sandwiched between a row of terrace houses, with the only available source of natural light coming from the front and rear of the house.

Another driving force behind the design of the house was the focused intention of shaping the spaces to cater to each of the family member’s wants and needs. The outdoor deck is devised for Mr. Choi to relax and enjoy his newspaper reading, with a higher ceiling to distinguish itself from the general outdoor space as well as timber flooring for a more homey setting. The dry kitchen, designed as an extension of the dining room is equipped with ovens and appliance catering to the baking needs of the sister. The wet kitchen remains as the domain of Mrs. Choi, pulled away from the rear of the building creating an internal air well and private orchid garden. The conscious decision to detach the wet kitchen gave rise to the intertwined relationship of the upper and lower floors; connecting each family member on the different levels by giving them a sense of what is happening at the rest of the house.

Selecting copper cladding for the front gate and car porch was a bold move that needed little convincing for the owner as they were able to appreciate the material’s textural qualities and its ability to age with character over time. The main building façade in rough-cast finish was given additional texture with the introduction of vertical groove lines.

Rooftop screens that allows climber plants to grow and landscaping were strategically placed to address the owner’s concern on the hot evening sun. The central light-well serves as a vertical stack that effectively cools the interior of the house by discharging warm air through the top level windows.

It was a delightful process; from receiving the brief, working out the possible designs with the owner, to overseeing the construction until handover. in addition to being a building that reacts to the local climate and context, 29 Pebble Lane is also a true reflection of the marriage between an architect’s aspirations and the owners’ individual characters and lifestyles.

Recipient of the Surface Award attributed by the 2015 Grands Prix du Design and a comity made up of 14 architects, designers, directors, teachers and presidents of associations, the Pâtisserie Petit Lapin is the first pastry shop in Montreal to offer delicious treats that are gluten-free, lactose-free and without the ten priority food allergens.

Situated on Victoria Avenue in Westmount, it occupies a small commercial space of ​​342 square feet in a basement with a six-foot-wide hall connecting it to its street-level entrance. The challenge was to peak the curiosity of passers-by in order to lure them inside. To do this, Architecture Open Form, led by architect Maxime Moreau, created a series of textured surfaces, with a modular system of “softwalls” with integrated LED lights, to present the pastries, highlight the double-height entrance hall and give the space an illusion of grandeur. The “softwalls” unfold in a continuous gesture on the walls and various ceilings, leading customers in the transition between the retail entry and the downstairs counter.

The pastry shop is minimalist in decor and very bright in order to showcase the customized creations of the pastry chef and to create a visual focus that is visible from the street both during the day and at night. Suspended like a continuous work of art along the walls and ceilings between the street level and the basement, the flexible LED strips, which emit a warm white hue, are integrated into the modular system of the “softwalls”; this amazing source of light highlights the delicacy of the white textile fibre modules and renders the expression of their fluid motion even more magical. The pastries come to life as the light travels within the lines and folds of the translucent fibres.

The visual identity of the pastry shop is defined not only by its delicate and velvety pastel shades, but even more so by its textures and its continuous surfaces. The flexible “softwalls” partition system symbolizes the undulations and flexibility of the parchment paper liners used for baking cupcakes. The translucent white modules, made of 100%-recyclable polyethylene, help sculpt the light and reveal the delicate structure of the folds. The “softwalls” and the white quartz countertops move from the street-level entry into the basement shop, creating a homogeneous project that expresses the link between identity and structure and underlining the concept of continuity in motion through orderly spatial organization and the alignment of objects, desserts and spaces.

Architecture Open Form represents a creative way of thinking about design, materiality, structure and construction and their evolution in contemporary architecture. Founded in 2008 by architects Maxime Moreau and Maurice Martel, Architecture Open Form strives to promote innovation in architecture and landscapes through built projects, critical research, exhibitions and writings. Each project begins by listening attentively to the needs of the client and carrying out extensive research on the context, architectural forms, materials and details of the site so that a customized solution can be developed. Careful attention to each and every element of the project design is an integral part of the office philosophy, which aims to enrich our lives and improve our built environment.

Designed by Crosby Studios architects Bulka Cafe and Bakery is located in the Gorky Park in Moscow in the middle of the extensive gardens along the Moskva River. Thus the greenery theme of the park is projected into the interior design through various details letting a bit of sunny summer into short overcast days and long winter nights of Moscow.

The main task was to create the most baking restaurant with the least baking interiors avoiding by implication all the associations with a traditional bakery like salvaged wood, vintage furniture, confiture jars, etc., and the architects came up with the idea of a summer house in the country but built for a young modern couple.

The wide open space is divided into zones by industrial looking shelvings decorated with potted plants and fresh vegetables waiting to be picked up by the chef for cooking.

Regular water pipes and fixtures just like one would use for outdoors water outlet in the country form the three faucets along the single wide sink made of tin ventilation channel.Solid wood floors are stained with grey shaded oil.The lighting fixture spreading 10 by 10 meters all around the venue is made of reading-lamps and pending potted plants repeating the pattern set by the shelvings.

The floor plan is very simple and symmetrical and it can be easily transformed to meet various format requirements being either formal or casual.The bench stretching along the perimeter of the venue is custom made at Crosby Studios Workshop and painted jade colour just like the bar stools and the overhead lights.The tables just like the wooden floor are painted light grey.

Tableware and cutlery are stored in the open bar stand among viennoiserie and again potted plants.The back wall, the only one without windows, is painted in graphic dazzling pattern catching attention from outside through the other three glass walls of the pavilion.

Last but not least to mention is that the specifics of the location being a public park suggested the works are held during the night and it took only one month to fulfill the project.

Loisir is a baking studio & boutique cafe owned and operated by patissier Sookyung Kim about afternoon tea and cake. Loisir got inspiration from the ¡®time seeking solitude of life¡¯ and will interpret and show desserts in France and Japan after Loisir¡¯s own fashion.

The client wanted Loisir¡¯s own sensibility interpreted by the designer could be expressed in a space just like the ¡®space achromatic colored, unexposed but fascinating itself¡¯ felt from the dessert cafe Pied, the previous work of Nordic Bros. Design Community, and she wanted to commune with the designer through various themes.

During the process of understanding the client, the designer deduced the direction towards the ¡®space changeable each season¡¯ and focused on allowing a margin at important points of the space while concentrating on the layout such as the utilization of interior and exterior spaces separated into two stories and minimization of the traffic line.

Before selecting materials and colors, the client asked to preserve the appearance(used bricks) as much as we could upon request by the landlord, and the designer put emphasis on the use of unsmooth finish materials such as terracotta and painting of the exposure state to fit in the used bricks.

To utilize merits of the previous environment(the house with an open yard and a quiet alley), it blurred the distinction between spaces and emphasized the continuity by arranging the gable roof structure consecutively in a row inside and outside.

While providing each table inside and outside with the individual view and leaving a margin for a line for lighting equipment, it used copper as the accent color to express the space image that fell under narcissism.

After combining two previous studio apartments into one and placing the baking studio and the stairs going to the cafe upstairs in the center, the staff room, storage, main kitchen, toilet, and office enclosed them in the form of ¤§ to minimize the traffic line and fully utilize the space.

This house at Twisted Pine is set on four hectares of undulating land on a promontory near Mapua in the tidal waters of the Waimea Inlet.
The land was covered for many years in tall pine trees, which were cleared to open the site to the water and views. This pine timber was milled and forms the basis of the house itself, meaning that the house’s fabric is literally from the land upon which it sits. Making the most of their impressively large spans, the massive timber beams and columns crafted from these 80-year-old pines were arranged in three long, low wings around a central courtyard.

All three wings are designed so that circulation is on the inner face, opening onto the courtyard, which is landscaped to include reflecting pools and ancient Balinese sculptures and is faced externally with Balinese lava stone. The external face of each wing reveals views out over the tidal estuary, a slowly changing landscape of silvery water that flows in at high tide and slowly ebbs away.

The central wing contains living, kitchen and dining spaces with whitewashed timber ceilings, teak floorboards over a heated slab and wide opening doors to either side. The two remaining wings cater for sleeping and working: the eastern wing contains the main bedroom, guest bedroom and large study, while the western wing contains bedrooms and a separate living area for the children.

The wings are linked via glazed connectors. Acquired during years of living in Asia, the client’s extensive collection of oriental artefacts is incorporated throughout the house, which is finished in a restrained palette of soft whites and greys to form a backdrop for these ornate treasures.

A key driver of the design was the need to create a house airy enough to avoid the baking summer heat of Nelson and yet well insulated from the icy winter blasts. High-level clerestory windows allow summer ventilation across each wing and in winter a large central fireplace anchors the living room and creates a cosy retreat from the weather.

The old farm house comprises five buildings and is located on a unique site in close proximity to the Gaasbeek Castle. What strategy needs to be developed to revive a dilapidated building without reconstructing it in a nostalgic manner? The decisive question is how such a homestead can be adapted to modern housing requirements without destroying its agricultural character.

The residential building with an entrance addressing the road was converted after 1945 and finished with a roof type untypical for rural buildings in this region. Therefore the decision was taken to cut off the entrance door diagonally and relocate it. The existing openings were closed, whereas a wide window in the lateral facade offers a generous view across the garden. In order to create a new visual unity, the brick gable was finished with a grey cement layer. The ground floor of the residential building with the adjoining cow stables was converted into a veterinary practice and a garage. The upper floor accommodates a guestroom at the front and the children’s bedrooms at the back. The windows were recessed in the roof’s depth to conserve the rural character.

The largest volume, the haystack, became the central room of the new apartment. The openings of both large gates were maintained and completely glazed. On the outside oak wood gates and windows were mounted. A large concrete table, around which everyday life takes place, was positioned between the large windows. The interesting solution of positioning the tabletop quite high generates a spatial experience that is completely different as compared to a classic table, in particular as the room above the table reaches up to the ridge.

The semi-subterranean “vaulted chamber” of the barn was maintained as a storeroom, whilst the upper side made from brick serves as sitting area. The area above accommodates the parents’ bedrooms, with ‘interior windows’ on the high and open space. The adjoining pigsty was converted into a playroom for the children. The fifth brick-built volume is a storeroom with a small bread baking oven.

Whereas the reorganisation of the working and living functions was already specified, it was, however, a much more complex task to connect the various volumes. And here lies the particularly notable quality of this project: solving various functional aspects with a single intervention. Bart Lens designed a funnel-shaped annex sheltering the entrance to the veterinary practice and the private area. The funnel shape is further emphasises by the angular walkway mad of paving bricks, particularly because the respect for the given height differences of the terrain was one of the project’s starting points. Bart Lens opted for red paving bricks by Wienerberger, which were in this case glued.

The floorings, walls and the roof as well as the new terraces were made of the same paving brick, thus creating a unity within the new volume and establishing a new link between the existing volumes. Simultaneously, a closed off courtyard is formed, which is sheltered from the prevailing western winds and prevents views from the road.

In other projects, Bart Lens has already demonstrated how a new build can conceptually be brought into accordance with existing structures and buildings. It is not about reconstruction, not about confrontation between the existing and the new. It is the third way, the integration of the new into an historic context. The meticulous detailing and expert execution place the project on a high architectural level. Brick is not solely used as a building material, but also as a concept reinforcing the existing structure – brick as “linking” element between the past and the present.

Wingårdh converted a large old farm in the countryside in southern Sweden into a vacation house for a family from the nearby city of Malmö. He transformed the original farm buildings – cowshed, stables, hay loft and barn – into sleeping quarters, kitchen and a gym, among other rooms, and added a new freestanding wing to the late 19th -century house. This little annex is a refuge, a quiet place to escape to or a private domain for guests to inhabit. Throughout the project, the client demonstrated unwavering faith in the architect, giving him great latitude in designing the little fifty-square-meter cottage.

The detailing of the annex surpasses all of Wingårdh’s prior work. The entire building is crafted with the precision of fine cabinetry and the craftsmanship and materials – oak and limestone – infuse the atmosphere with warmth and authenticity. The heavily detailed architecture of the interior is more than a mere background for its contents. By contrast, the simple exterior gives no indication of the care lavished on the inside, particularly the façade towards the courtyard. Its most prominent feature is a horizontal gable window of adjoining squares, but as a whole the exterior seems to strive for an archetypal simplicity that recalls the watermill that once stood on the site.

Image Courtesy Wingardh Arkitektkontor AB trough

The annex comprises a sauna and attendant spaces for undressing, washing and relaxing. It is designed as a manifestation of the Swedish ritual of sauna and bathing. The traditional rite involves baking together in the sauna and dashing out for an invigorating dip in a cold stream. The meager creek on the property was insufficient for the purpose, however, so Wingårdh built a small pool adjacent to the sauna. It is in the relationships between these elements that we find the greatest poetry. The path of water is lyrically articulated: rainwater pitches from a scupper in the stone wall into a brimming trough, overflows across the limestone border of the patio and trickles into the stream below. This detail breathes the same clarifying calm as Sen-no-Rikyu’s contemplative 16th-century teahouses in Kyoto. The relationship between this sauna and the Japanese tradition of aesthetic simplicity is obvious in the poetic treatment of basic elements, such as the subtly recessed seat before the open fire or the beautiful relationship between the floor upstairs and the ceiling.

Image Courtesy Wingardh Arkitektkontor AB trough

In contrast to the straightforward simplicity of teahouse architecture, which strove after an artless naïveté in the treatment of materials, the finishes in this building are executed with great artistry. If sukiya architecture was meant to surprise the samurai with its robust expressiveness, this little house is surprisingly extravagant. Unfortunately, the dignity of the refined interior is not reflected in its largely trivial surroundings, which in the end diminish its glory. The ambitious architecture outreaches its humble site.